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Konica C35
The Konica C35 of 1968 is a 35mm camera and first of a series of four cameras from Konishiroku that are dealt with in this article, the others being the C35V (C35E&L), C35 Automatic (C35 Flashmatic), and Auto S3 (C35FD). The Konica C35 EF is dealt with in another article. The Konica C35 was the first of a number of compact cameras that swept the marketplace in the early seventies. Cameras from other Japanese companies after 1970 (see photo at end) show its importance and influence. Its appeal to the general public was obvious from the start: it was a compact, light and simple to use camera with an excellent lens that was distinctly wider than average for the time and that took good photographs because it could be focused accurately. It was an outstanding sales success throughout the world. http://www.ukcamera.com/collect/images/allkonicas.jpg Four Konica models Konishiroku may at first seem a mere follower of fashion, updating the design theme of the compact Minolta Minoltina S and Olympus Trip 35, or even its own Konica Eye of 1964. However, the C35 was much more than an update: it brought together a number of other desirable design strands into one camera, not simply light weight and compact size, but a CdS meter in the lens mount (eliminating worries about filter correction factors), a rangefinder and most importantly of all, the simple operation of "auto only" exposure. The standard versions There are three versions of the modestly-priced C35: *'Konica C35' (1968 - Silver 1969 - black) * The non-rangefinder Konica C35V (1971 - silver), known in Japan as the Konica C35E&L * The Konica C35 Automatic with a more advanced flash control (1971 - silver), known in Japan as the Konica C35 Flashmatic The advanced Konica C35: the C35FD (Auto S3) http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1202/1357329366_fe415885ba_m.jpg Auto S3 The same basic chassis then had a different shutter/lens assembly incorporated and emerged as the upmarket (and considerably more expensive) shutter-priority Konica C35FD in Japan in 1973. This camera was available in silver or black and had an identical top housing to the standard C35. Other than the f1.8 lens, the only visible change was the replacement of the "Automatic" badge with the "FD" one. In all other markets this camera was sold as the Konica Auto S3 in a black anodised finish (not paint) A name and colour change made, obviously, to distance it from its cheaper brethren. http://www.ukcamera.com/collect/images/konicac35b.jpg Konica C35 Specifications Konica C35 specifications * Available in black or silver * 38mm f2.8 four-element Hexanon lens - 46mm filter thread * Coupled rangefinder - baseline 12mm * CdS meter (19-27 DIN, 25-400 ASA) * Self timer * Closest focus - 1m, 3.3ft * Copal B mat programmed shutter * Combined aperture/shutter blades * Speeds 1/30 to 1/650 * Lever wind, double-exposure prevention, resetting frame counter * Bright line finder * Needle indication of shutter speed and aperture visible on right hand side of viewfinder * Width 112mm (actual 120mm with strap lugs) Height - claimed 70mm (actual 75mm) - Depth 52mm * Weight 380g (13.4 oz) Price in Britain £42.15.0 (£42.75, in April 1970), black version £4 extra * Konica X-14 matching flashgun available * Set to 1/25 automatically for flash Konica C35V specifications http://www.ukcamera.com/collect/images/konicac35v.jpg Konica C35V * Available only in silver * 38mm f2.8 four-element Hexanon lens - 46mm filter thread * Zone adjustment by four click stops (with pictogram's) * CdS meter (19-27 DIN, 25-400ASA) * No self timer * Closest focus - 1m, 3.3ft * 2 blade programmed shutter * Combined aperture/shutter blades * Speeds 1/30 to 1/650 * Lever wind, double-exposure prevention, resetting frame counter * Bright line finder * Needle indication of shutter speed and aperture visible on right hand side of viewfinder * Window lower right to few focus positions on lens * Width 112mm (actual 120mm with strap lugs) Height - claimed 70mm (actual 75mm) - Depth 52mm * Weight 340g (12 oz) Price in Britain £41.48 (April 1974) * Konica X-14 matching flashgun available * Set to 1/25 automatically for flash Konica C35 Automatic specifications http://static.flickr.com/27/47308042_061cbc4926.jpg Konica C35 Automatic This was a later version of the C35 and had "Flashmatic control" and is identified by the "Automatic" badge * Available in silver or black * 38mm f2.8 four-element Hexanon lens - 46mm filter thread * Coupled Rangefinder (device)rangefinder - baseline 12mm * CdS meter (19-27 DIN, 25-400 ASA) * Self timer * Closest focus - 1m, 3.3ft * Copal B mat programmed shutter * Combined aperture/shutter blades * Speeds 1/30 to 1/650 * Lever wind, double exposure prevention, resetting frame counter * Bright line finder * Needle indication of shutter speed and aperture visible on right hand side of viewfinder * Width 112mm (actual 120mm with strap lugs) Height - claimed 70mm (actual 75mm) - Depth 52mm * Weight 380g (13.4 oz) Price in Britain £49.90 (April 1974) * Konica X-14 matching flashgun available * "Auto Flashmatic system automatically activated when flashgun is mounted on Hot shoe": this was the catalogue description of a system which adjusted the aperture as the camera was focused http://www.ukcamera.com/collect/images/konicacAutoS3b.jpg Konica Auto S3 Konica Auto S3 specifications * Available in black (the Japanese-market C35FD version was silver or black) * 38mm f1.8 six-element Hexanon lens - 49mm filter thread * Coupled rangefinder - baseline 12mm * CdS meter (15-30 DIN, 25-800 ASA) * Self timer * Closest Focus - 0.9m, 3ft * Copal seven-speed shutter * Shutter-priority automatic * Speeds - 1/8 - 1/500 * Lever wind, double-exposure prevention, resetting frame counter * Bright line finder * Needle indication of aperture visible on right hand side of viewfinder * Auto Flashmatic system with indication in viewfinder * Width 112mm (actual 120mm with strap lugs) Height - claimed 70mm (actual 75mm) - Depth 60mm * Weight 410g Price in Britain £82.90 (April 1974) http://www.ukcamera.com/collect/images/allkonicas2.jpg Konica C35, C35V, C35 Automatic and Auto S3 http://www.ukcamera.com/collect/images/c35competitors2.jpg The C35's designers probably looked at these: Minoltina S & Fujica Compact http://www.ukcamera.com/collect/images/c35competitors1.jpg After the C35 arrived: Ricoh 500GX, Olympus 35ED & Minolta F External links In English: * Konica C35, C35 Automatic, and C35V at D. Scott Young's Classic '70's Compact 35mm and Other Rangefinder Cameras * Manual for the Konica C35 Automatic (in HTML and PDF versions) at Mike Butkus's camera manual site * Konica C35 at Alfred Klomp's camera pages * Konica C35 Automatic at Erik Fiss Photography * Konica C35 at Matt Denton's camera site * Konica Auto S3 at Cameraquest * Konica C35 Automatic: Rangefinder adjustment In French: * Lionel's Konica C35, C35 Automatic at 35mm-compact.com * C35 user manual at manuals list by Sylvain Halgand * Konica C35, Konica C35V, Konica C35 Automatic, Konica C35 Automatic, Konica Auto S3 on www.collection-appareils.fr by Sylvain Halgand * JJ's page about the Konica Auto S3 at konica.awardspace.com In Japanese: * Chart of Konica C35 models, Konica C35, Konica C35E&L, Minor changes to the Konica C35, Konica C35 Flashmatic, Konica Minolta Flashmatic Konica Minolta C35FD Konica C35 Automatic (photo only), Konica C35FD, Konica C35FD exposure meter repair, all at Rangefinder Further reading In Japanese: * Miyazaki Shigemoto (宮崎繁幹). Konika kamera no 50nen: Konika I-gata kara Hekisā RF e (コニカカメラの50年：コニカI型からヘキサーRFへ, Fifty years of Konica cameras: From the Konica I to the Hexar RF). Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 2003. ISBN 4-257-12038-X Pp. 61–6. Category: Japanese 35mm rangefinder C35 Category: K C35, Konica